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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28830624">100</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/senzensaid/pseuds/senzensaid'>senzensaid</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(why am i dead inside), Angst, Childhood Friends, Developing Friendships, Gen, Multi, Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Suffering, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, lol</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:01:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28830624</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/senzensaid/pseuds/senzensaid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Beneath the tree of summer in the shadows of the heat, he clasped his hands together and begged for it to end. </p><p>Hyunjin would remember the promise that he made.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hwang Hyunjin &amp; Everyone, Hwang Hyunjin &amp; Lee Minho | Lee Know, Lee Minho | Lee Know &amp; Everyone, Lee Minho | Lee Know &amp; Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. It's What I Wanted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p><span class="u">Chapter 1</span>: It's What I Wanted</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Smoke spun in wisps and twirling bows as sparklers waved across the humid night. A blistering, bumbling summer- stretched over tumbled riverbanks, simmering beneath crimson, sunburst sunsets swept through the cliffs and hills across the steep berth of the mountain town.</p><p>In just a few more days the quiet forests, the stone-turned paths, the narrowed, rising alley roads- would all be gone.</p><p>The last of their two weeks was coming to an end.</p><p>Hyunjin wondered if he should feel something like disappointed. He didn't, not really, but he was sure somewhere else someone did. </p><p>He scribbled some words on the slip of paper propped against his knee, thick and white and bordered on its left in leafy, swirling gold. In the heat, his sweaty hair clung against the nape of his neck, made no more pleasant to experience by the presence of his looming friend right behind. </p><p>Changbin tracked the scrawl of the pen until Hyunjin was done, remarkably patient, then snatched it up and tossed it into the muddled glow of some bushes off the footpath ahead.</p><p>"<em>Aaand</em> done! That only took forever."</p><p>Hyunjin snorted and hopped from the large rock he'd climbed on top. "That's littering."</p><p>Changbin followed, sliding down. "I'll grab it on the way back." He clapped his dirtied palms on his dark pants in no less of a good mood.</p><p>Fireworks boomed above their heads, vermilion, violet and gold, shimmering, shimmying in umbrella-arcs towards the flower-swept summit below. They walked uphill together. </p><p>Locals passed, sandals, shorts, blouses and long tees, on their ways up and down, skewered food in hand, some with tiny, tied, decorative water balloons, flushed in cheerful moods- though there were enough others who were quietly content with the solitude and company of themselves.</p><p>"It's not such a bad thing we came here," Changbin said after a while longer. Hyunjin looked over. The grin in Changbin's voice was just as clear on his face. </p><p>It wasn't the first time Changbin said it. Even so, his friend elaborated, raising his brows and gesturing around them with a hand. </p><p>"This. Could've been worse, right? At least it gave us something to do."</p><p>Hyunjin agreed. Even if he hadn't wanted to get stuck at first, now that they'd been here like this, he couldn't say he wanted to go home. Maybe not yet. "You dragged me outta the bunks but you didn't bother writing something like the rest of us? Where's your festive spirit?" he joked, nudging his friend in the arm.</p><p>Changbin shouldered him back with a snort. "You kidding? Wishes and dreams don't come true for a guy like me." He looked upwards, if not a bit dramatically, towards the clouds, eyes searching, bemusement in every word. "I stopped trying since I was born."</p><p>Hyunjin laughed loudly. What a bunch of theatrics. "What are you saying?"</p><p>Changbin dropped his gaze, grinning wider at his friend, passing off the question. "I came with Yongbok earlier. Since you took forever."</p><p>"I was busy," complained Hyunjin.</p><p>Really, he didn't think he was doing anything important before. There came the vague sense that he must've gotten lost. If the ache in his limbs was any indication, he'd probably been wandering the myriad of steep alleyways and pebbled roads for a long time before Changbin came and managed to find him.</p><p>Speaking of-</p><p>"Where did everyone end up?" he wondered, squinting ahead, steps slowed. </p><p>He wasn't out of shape by any means, but the steep incline was making his lack of stamina abundantly clear. If Changbin noticed Hyunjin's struggle he kept it to himself, motioning vaguely in the direction of the vibrantly lit stalls further along the hill and off to the side instead. </p><p>"They're sitting up there." </p><p>And they were. The benches adjacent to the stalls on the man-made, stone-graveled walk were full. The outlines of their friends in their white-collared, uniformed shirts was impossible to miss. Laughter ran out, cans and food in hand.</p><p>Hyunjin tilted his head.</p><p>The bumping shoulders and familiar backs of his classmates caused an ache in his chest.</p><p><em>What was it, </em>he thought puzzled. His gaze wandered.</p><p>Their teacher stood nearby the benches, exasperation on his face.</p><p>Exasperation that soon turned to regret as the unmistakably bright, blond head that belonged to Yongbok keeled over and vomited across the grass, and by extension, their class president's shoes. The disgusted exclamations, hoots and Seungmin's distressed yelp tumbled down their way.</p><p>Changbin's lips quirked. "That's my cue," he said.</p><p>Hyunjin shook himself from his odd stupor. "For what?"</p><p>"Damage control. Or something." Changbin continued to look amused. He flicked his finger against the wish-paper Hyunjin held onto. "Better hang that up. Before one of them somehow manages to throw up on it too."</p><p>The easy tease pushed aside Hyunjin's unusual unease. He found himself grinning at his friend again and waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah, I'll find you when I'm done."</p><p>They parted ways good-natured at the first crest of the hill.</p><p>Changbin went right. Hyunjin went left.</p><p>The hilltop rose higher. White-flowered grass sprawled everywhere. </p><p>It was a longer walk, away from the sights and sounds and torch glows decorating the spiraling descent to the bottom of the town, and as he moved, putting more distance between himself and the jumbled stalls, the sizzling foods and mini games over his shoulder, noise became murmurs. Festival lights became sluggish, muted warmth.</p><p>Much more peaceful.</p><p>Hyunjin was left to his thoughts, the humidity and stinging bites of bugs.</p><p>Annoying. He couldn't stop sweating. Why hadn't he worn something else instead? He'd worn his uniform so much it felt like he'd been born with it on.</p><p>He loosened his tie and unbuttoned his over-shirt. His black tee clung uncomfortably to his skin. Hot air touched his neck, matted his tied hair. He should've cut it.</p><p>A wind came by and it was blistering, but it was <em>something</em>, so Hyunjin gruffly welcomed it in. His wish-paper lightly blew against his hand. </p><p>Hyunjin looked at it, a tiny smile growing for himself.</p><p>He believed more-so than Changbin in things like rituals and prayers- the stuff beyond themselves.</p><p>This town built into the side of the mountain and its festival had all been foreign and new, but the concept behind the celebration was easy to understand. Blessings for themselves and blessings for others.</p><p>Hopes for what they wanted to see and wanted do before summer turned to fall, turned to winter again.</p><p>Before the year would end. </p><p>Whether or not writing dreams on pieces of paper actually amounted to anything, it was a good reminder of what Hyunjin himself wanted.</p><p>His smile faltered slightly.</p><p>No matter how small.</p><p>He blinked and cleared his throat. Nearly silent now, he passed by a handful of unfamiliar faces. </p><p>Then he passed by Minseok.</p><p>His classmate, shyer, quieter than the rest, with folded shoulders, lowered eyes and neatly combed hair. But he smiled brightly here as he walked alone, hair unkempt, eyes alight, lightness in his step. His attention seemed faraway.</p><p>It gave Hyunjin pause. </p><p>Ringing rose, a faint warning pain in his ears. His stomach dipped and bent in knots. Minseok stepped past. Hyunjin's head followed. </p><p>Minseok didn't stop. He kept walking unawares.</p><p>Staring, nausea in his throat, Hyunjin watched. Until Minseok's retreating form drew closer and closer to the far-off lights of their friends in the distance. </p><p>Then he shook it off.</p><p>Whatever. He must've eaten something weird before meeting Changbin on the hill.</p><p>Hyunjin finished the trip uncertainly, moving slower, much slower than before to the town's most revered tree- to the sweeping beds of pastel flowers spread below its roots. His eyes swept over the sight. It was now reachable by only a miniature wooden bridge that crested at the beginning of a smooth dirt path and multi-colored rocks.</p><p>Ringing. Ringing in his ears.</p><p>He shook his head. </p><p>It really was annoying.</p><p>Yumi and Eiji, he passed them both on the curved bridge, seeing their giggles, grins and linked arms. </p><p>For a moment, only a moment, the unsettled twisting of his gut settled. </p><p>Maybe Changbin had been right.</p><p>The unexpected trip had been good for everyone after all. </p><p>He stopped at the end of the bridge, at the start of the footpath winding gently towards the tree. Golden paper lanterns tied to a line wooden posts on either side marked the way.</p><p>But Hyunjin didn't walk.</p><p>Hyunjin didn't move.</p><p>For down from the hill, down where he stood, the view of the tree towered mightily above. Its weeping blooms, luminescent, pink and blue, against the celebration's far and orange blazing hue. Tall and broad, its bowing arms, the boy who stood beneath seemed incredulously small.</p><p>Wishes and wisterias. Spindly, branches spread.</p><p>Eternal.</p><p>Hyunjin's eyes stuck on the slips of gold-tied paper, bending, blowing fickle in the night, then fell to his classmate below.  </p><p>Minho.</p><p>Minho was still, head tilted, back turned. Steady and sturdy as it'd always been. Looking at something. </p><p>
  <em>Eternal.</em>
</p><p>Hyunjin's own wish suddenly hung heavy from his forefinger and thumb.</p><p>There was something. He felt it. Something he needed to look at too. But his mind had grown slow and thoughts were hard to come.</p><p>What was Minho doing on his own?</p><p>Last time Hyunjin saw him Minho had been-</p><p>Hyunjin frowned. The notion disappeared. </p><p>Minho had been here.</p><p>...Or had he been somewhere else?</p><p>No.</p><p>He hadn't come with the others.</p><p>Minho been at the bottom of the hill. In the dark. On the road. Speaking to Hyunjin words he didn't understand. Grown.</p><p><em>No they were kids. </em>  </p><p>Buzzing in Hyunjin's ears.</p><p>The swelling sound of cicadas and his heart raged loud within his ears. Heat sunk unwanted in his skin and clothes. Unbearable heat.</p><p>It suffocated his throat.</p><p>No. Something was wrong.</p><p>Hyunjin stepped forward. His ankle was seized.</p><p>Terrified, he looked down.</p><p>Nothing but black soil and the wilting, melting flowers. Hyunjin's brows knit. He watched and watched and watched, the fear inside building.</p><p>Flowers breaking. Breaking into flame. Cheers all around them echoed from the hills.</p><p>Hyunjin raised his head.</p><p>The tree above had burst aflame.</p><p>Wisterias ablaze.</p><p>Earth and grass a burning pyre.</p><p>Minho was among it. Minho finally turned around.</p><p>Bleeding, bruised and scuffed, Minho smiled down.</p><p>The cheers grew louder as clapping joined.</p><p>There was music, a parade, roaring joy and fireworks bombarding in Hyunjin's ears but this was all wrong.</p><p>There had been no shimmering sparks, no celebrations, no laughter across the deep blue nighttime sky.</p><p>Not the last time Minho stood there.</p><p>Not the last time Minho spoke.</p><p>This was-</p><p>Thundering steel. Weeping, screaming noise.</p><p>Popping, popping, bursting echoes, burning bright. What a false festival.</p><p>Hyunjin's wish, hung on his fingers, scorched, brittle, blowing ash.</p><p>His eyes on Minho were fixated in terror.</p><p>Minho didn't cry. Yet his gaze was dark and wet in the shadows of raging flame, expression crumpling, breaking small. "I told you not to."</p><p>His voice wavered as he smiled. His dark hair spilled across his brow.</p><p>Realization hit. Hyunjin lurched forward.</p><p>
  <em>He remembered- </em>
</p><p>Explosions punched the air. </p><p> </p><p>~x~</p><p> </p><p>On the train, far from home, Hyunjin stepped aboard.  </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Last Stop</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The train lurched. </p><p>Hyunjin swore. </p><p>In the seat across, Jaeho held up a card and grinned. “I win.” </p><p>He set it down on the lopsided pull-out tray between them. Hyunjin pulled a face at the smarmy look the older boy wore, glaring once at his sorry hand of ones and twos, and glaring at Jaeho again. He dropped his cards with a scowl and pushed them over. “I know you cheated.” </p><p>Jaeho’s brows flew high up on his forehead. “Cheat? I would never!” </p><p>“You sound completely unconvincing,” Hyunsu commented from Hyunjin’s other side, slouched in his seat, one leg crossed, phone sideways as he played a game. </p><p>“I knew you were a sore loser, but taking Hyunjin’s side? The betrayal.”</p><p>“You’re a clown.” </p><p>“I’m a genius.” </p><p>Hyunjin rolled his eyes and stood. “I’m going to the bathroom.” He stepped over Hyunsu’s legs and into the softly rumbling swaying aisle.</p><p>The set of four seats adjacent to their own had only Soomin and Yumi as passengers, and they were both unconcerned, watching Youtube on the phone Yumi held.</p><p>They had gone from Seoul to Saprong for three weeks of an accelerated program under the name of young ambassadors. A good portion of their time had been spent volunteering in rural fields and helping the local community center while studying the agriculture and fleshing out notes on the production of food from farm to city.</p><p>Hyunjin had no idea what any of the things he learned would help him with in the future but his parents hadn’t given him much choice.</p><p>Special classes offered only to a <em> few </em> of them who qualified? Of course he was going.</p><p>His mom had helped him pack his biggest suitcase and duffel bag with glee, both her and his dog cheerfully ignoring Hyunjin moping by the window.</p><p>Would this really be worth missing several weeks of actual classes?</p><p>The Ambassadors Club had always taken them to the furthest places from the city for goodwill services twice each year. He’d never been able to get out of the trips before so he didn’t know why he’d been hoping to this time.</p><p>At least Changbin was there.</p><p>They’d been friends since they were nine. Going anywhere without him left him feeling off. As it was, because Changbin had found interest in the things they were learning, Hyunjin had found himself paying closer attention too. He almost found it <em>fun</em>, all their assignments as they traveled through Saprong between three towns, so he guessed it worked out in the end. </p><p>Their two teachers who had tagged along, supervising, had been much more lax with rules and had given them more freedom than usual after their work for the day was done, the one exception being that they kept their uniforms neat and on during the day.</p><p><em>“For good representation,</em>” Seungmin had commented afterwards to absolutely no one way before as the club members had filed from the classroom.</p><p>Hyunjin <em>thought</em> he saw the club’s de facto big brother, Chan, clap Seungmin on the shoulder when their president realized he’d been ignored, but that had been that and Hyunjin had already been speeding from the room before he could be called back to help reorganize the chairs.</p><p>As it was, Seungmin was currently re-evaluating all his life choices in the middle seats of the train compartment, seated across from a sputtering Jisung who had just spilled his coffee on both their laps.</p><p>Jisung who was incredibly brilliant and incredibly loud and incredibly at odds with his own fluctuating moods alongside Hyunjin, they had spent the first six years knowing each other trying to take each other out.</p><p>Academically.</p><p>Jisung saw him passing by and desperately reached out. “Grab me a napkin?”</p><p>Hyunjin avoided the hand, looking straight ahead. “No thanks.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>Changbin, two seats in front, neck pillow on, eye mask pushed up, leaned himself into the aisle and snorted. “I told you to put your coffee in the metal cup with the lid,” he called down.</p><p>Jisung twisted around. “How was I supposed to know the plastic one wouldn’t work?”</p><p>“Because I keep telling you it won’t,” Changbin replied, half a grin tugging at his mouth. “Listen to me sometime, will you?” He punched Hyunjin lightly in the leg as Hyunjin passed. “Lost again?”</p><p>Hyunjin couldn't even be annoyed. “Why do you always know?”</p><p>Changbin just shrugged and settled back into his seat, comfortably sliding as the chair reclined.</p><p>They’d all been given their tickets at random. Changbin’s happened to be next to Minseok’s- which wasn’t terrible at all- considering how quiet the other boy was. It looked like he was sleeping too, head leaned against the window as they rolled past blue skies, green hills and the blinding, scorching sun.</p><p>Thank god for AC. Hyunjin wasn’t keen on stepping back into the pressing heat anytime soon.</p><p>When Hyunjin reached the end of the compartment where the bathroom was, he realized he hadn’t made the walk alone. Seungmin was behind him, looking just as done with life as he sounded as he spoke to the two preoccupying the four-seater just before the bathroom. “Do either of you have a spare?”</p><p>Chan and Felix stopped their conversation full of laughs and looked at their club president. They had both ditched their over-shirts and shoes, Chan’s dark hair a vivid contrast from Felix’s head of blond. It didn’t take much for them to notice the coffee-stained slacks.</p><p>Chan’s eyebrows lifted in amusement and half pity. “Yeah man. I got some shorts.”</p><p>“No pants?” And for some reason Seungmin seemed disappointed. His eyes went to Felix. Felix raised his hands, apologetically grinning.</p><p>“Sorry. I only have shorts too. It’s hot.”</p><p>Seungmin sighed. “Well alright.”</p><p>As Chan got up to get his bag from the overhead storage, Hyunjin returned his attention to the bathroom and went to open the door.</p><p>The train jostled slightly. The door slid open. Jeongin stumbled out.</p><p>Hyunjin caught him by the shoulder easily, a joke on his tongue.</p><p>Jeongin looked up.</p><p>Hyunjin stopped.</p><p>Jeongin was the youngest of the members, one of the smartest, and who had a natural affinity for learning fast. He wasn’t easily intimidated, he did things his own way and spoke with careful thoughts, sometimes sharp. But right now- right now- his expression was-</p><p>Terrified and haunted.</p><p>The blood had gone from his skin, his eyes blown dark, staring at Hyunjin with a sink-splashed face.</p><p>“Innie?” Hyunjin couldn’t help but say, the nickname he rarely used slipping out.</p><p>Jeongin stepped, <em>jerked</em>, out of his grasp.</p><p>He glanced over Hyunjin’s shoulder, towards Seungmin and Chan and Felix occupied with their president’s pants still, and then brought his eyes to Hyunjin again.</p><p>“Sorry,” he said, breathless. Panicked.</p><p>He briefly went back inside the bathroom and tore a bunch of paper towels from the dispenser. “I’ll give these to hyung,” he rushed quickly, pushing past Hyunjin before anything more could be said.</p><p>Hyunjin stared after the younger boy bewildered.</p><p>What was that all about?</p><p>He stood for a moment wondering if he should go and see. But Jeongin was already halfway down the aisle offering the paper towels to Jisung and taking his seat next to their fellow club member.</p><p>Frowning, Hyunjin went into the bathroom, and closed the door.</p><p>For a long, long minute thinking beneath the florescent lights he wondered. </p><p>By the time Hyunjin stepped out, the train was rattling steadily louder than before.</p><p>The rest of the space had fallen into quiet, mostly everyone on their phones. Their teachers were in the train car in front of their own.</p><p>Something about the near silence unnerved Hyunjin. He couldn’t say what. Couldn’t place the feeling.</p><p>He made his way carefully back towards his seat as the train rounded a bend and passed through a tunnel. Darkness swept the cabin.</p><p>Hyunjin stopped and grabbed the top of the seat closest to him as the train rattled again. Harder than before. Then they were out of the tunnel and daylight flooded in, making Hyunjin squint and wince. He started to walk again.</p><p>His wrist was grabbed.</p><p>Hyunjin jumped. He looked over to his left- alarmed.</p><p>Sitting alone in seats meant for four, was Minho. The older boy, nearest to the window, was halfway out his seat, holding onto Hyunjin hard enough to hurt. His fingers were cold. Eyes intent.</p><p>It took a moment for Hyunjin to return to himself, and when he did, he scowled and tried to get his hand back. “What are you doing? Let go.”</p><p>Minho didn’t. Frustration bled onto his pale face instead.</p><p>His eyes were dark, angry and tired. When was he last time he slept? His over-shirt and uniform was unkempt. He hadn’t looked like this during their trip. Hadn’t he been joking around with Jisung and exploring the fields with Jeongin and some other club members having a grand old time?</p><p>Whatever. Hyunjin didn’t care. He shook his wrist in Minho’s hold. “Get off.”</p><p>For the first time since Hyunjin remembered, Minho said nothing about the blatantly rude way Hyunjin spoke to him. Said nothing about being older and deserving some sort of respect.</p><p>Minho looked at Hyunjin- <em>looked at him-</em> and let go. His face shut down. He returned, slowly, to his seat, and after a moment of staring at the empty seat across from him, turned his head to stare out the window instead.</p><p>The hell was that?</p><p>Hyunjin glowered at Minho and scoffed, ignoring the eyes of Seungmin and Jisung he could feel from three rows behind.</p><p>He moved for his seat for what felt like the hundredth time.</p><p>He didn’t make it.</p><p>A loud, violent bang. The train braked.</p><p>Hyunjin flew down the aisle, onto his knees, and nearly cracked his head on the compartment door.</p><p>Yelps and curses followed.</p><p>Disoriented, elbows and shin aching, Hyunjin pulled himself up. Jaeho grabbed his shoulder and straightened them both up.</p><p>Together they looked behind them at the rest of the car. </p><p>The lights of the train had gone out. And though it was bright daylight outside, it was eerie. Eerie as the silence that fell.</p><p>Hyunjin found himself listening, but for what, he didn’t know.</p><p>They had completely stopped moving.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i was working on something but it wasn't turning out so... merry christmas everyone!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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